The void. An endless expanse of absolute nothingness. I'm aware, but I can't see anything. I can't hear anything. My senses receive no input, as if they don't exist.
What...? Who...
Oh. My name... my name is Lucien. Lucien Snow. I'm...
Huh...?
I...
I can't remember.
I know... I know that I was someone... that I once lived. But where? How old was I? Who gave me the name Lucien?
I feel like... like I'm supposed to know... but why can't I recall it?
Oh, I remember the concept of a mother! A father, too! But... who were mine? What were their names? How did they raise me? Did they love me? Did I have siblings? I want... I want to remember...
Suddenly, a loud voice reverberated through the void, sounding both near and far, male yet female. It was jarring, and dragged me out of my thoughts.
"Do you wish to remember?"
Yes! Yes, I want... no, I need to remember! If I can't remember, then how do I know who I am?
"Even if the memories you have lost cause you pain?" The voice inquired.
What? Why would... No, that doesn't matter. If I can't remember, then what is the purpose of my existence? Am I really me without my memories?
"That is something for you to figure out on your own, young one." It hesitated, as if reluctant to divulge the information I desired. "If you wish to know of your past, you must gain strength. Enough strength to stand above all. For that, my child, is where your memories reside. I cannot tell you more than this. I have already violated many laws in bringing you here. I hope... I hope that one day, we can meet again. I will be watching over you, child. Now, go."
Why do I feel that it sounded... Anyways, where am I supposed to go? There's nothing here. The moment I had that thought, I suddenly felt my consciousness being pulled somewhere. It made me a bit dizzy, and I felt the urge to fall asleep, but I was too interested in what was happening and forced myself to stay awake.
Suddenly, I felt sensation once more. I could hear! I could feel! I immediately opened my eyes, only to be left reeling in shock for quite a while. What I saw when I opened my eyes... It was white. Everything was covered in white. I looked to my feet, and noticed that I have not two, but four legs? How odd. I can't remember my past, but I have a feeling I walked on two legs... Strange indeed. Pawing at the whiteness under my feet, I suddenly recalled a word— snow!
It seems that, perhaps, under certain stimulation I can recall minor things. That's good to know. I'll have to seek out new experiences to remember as much as I can until I obtain my memories. Speaking of which, what did the voice mean by gaining strength? Am I supposed to workout? In this animalistic body? Also, what even am I? So many questions, so few answers!
Looking behind me, I noticed a rather fluffy tail, and a thick pelt of grey fur. Hmm, that's a start, but I need more to go off of. If only I could see my face...
I guess my next move should be understanding where that voice put me. There's so much snow. It's covering everything! The ground, the trees, part of that lake...
Wait, lake? A lake! It seems frozen, but if it's thin enough, I might be able to make a big enough hole to see my reflection! Perfect! Wahh, just when I needed it. The voice must've helped me out when they put me at this location. Thanks, voice!
Darting towards the frozen body of water, I tripped twice. Seems I'll have to get used to these legs, I thought. Arriving at the icy lake, I started pouncing on the same spot repeatedly while gauging how thick the ice was. Seems a bit deeper than I expected... But looking at my progress, I don't think it'll take too long.
I was right. In just under 5 minutes, I managed to reach the surface of the water. digging out the ice to get a proper reflection, I stuck my snout into the opening to take a look.
It seems that I've become... a wolf.
***
Staring at my reflection, I was incredibly confused. Not by the reflection itself, but rather what showed up when I looked at it.
Floating in my vision was a semi-transparent panel listing out strange yet oddly familiar information. I didn't understand the what it meant, but it's layout was eerily resonating with something in my mind, as if I was on the cusp of remembering something long forgotten. But instead of paying attention to that, I studied the words fixed within the grey panel.
They read as such:
—
[Status]
Name: Lucien Snow
Species: Grey Wolf
HP: 10/10
MP: 5/5
Strength: 5
Agility: 10
Stamina: 10
Defense: 5
Unused Stat Points: 0
[Unique Skills]
Unstoppable Will: Your will is unbreakable, and your perseverance unmatched. Grants immunity to mental attacks and debuffs. Doubles HP and MP regeneration.
Consumption: Upon consumption, digest the skills, mana, or memories of your prey to be used as your own. May only select one factor to be digested.
[Skills]
Piercing Bite I
Sharp Claws I
Protective Fur I
Icy Breath I
—
I see... I'm assuming this is quantifying my physical abilities. I'm not exactly sure what skills are, but I suppose all I can do is experiment. Though I do wonder why I would need such aggressive skills? The voice did tell me I needed to gain strength, so perhaps this has something to do with that? I'll need to look into th-
*Growl*
Startled by the abrupt sound, I whipped around to find myself flanked by 3 grey wolves just a bit smaller than myself. They were very obviously malnourished, their fur dull and stretched taught on their ribs, drooling at the sight of my ample flesh. Somehow, I instinctively understood. They intend to kill me. To eat me, leaving not a crumb behind. It sent chills down my spine, the way they looked at me.
Before I could even decide whether I should fight or run, the wolf in the center lunged, maw wide open and aiming for my throat. I reflexively swiped my arm towards its face, managing to land a claw on its eye, partially blinding him. The wolf whimpered, halting its advance, yet the other two capitalized on my hesitation to deal the final blow and began a pincer attack. One aimed at my right forearm, the other intending to dig into my side and expose my soft underbelly.
I sensed the incoming danger and impulsively decided to leap forward, landing on top of the first wolf that was still cradling its blinded eye, trying using him as a foothold to launch myself away from the group. I reacted just a bit too slow, the wolf aiming for my stomach instead grazing my left hindleg with his claws. As a result, when I attempted to escape the encirclement, I faltered and was sent hurdling into the snow, struggling to get back on my feet with my now limited mobility.
The wolves didn't miss the opportunity and immediately sprinted my way, intent on ending my life once and for all. In an effort to intimidate my attackers, I snarled, my long and sharp teeth glistening with a threatening light. Yet, what I had not expected was a frosty wind to escape my jaws, visible as a dense white fog that the wolves ran into head first.
When the fog dispersed, all that remained were frozen statues that looked so life-like it wouldn't be odd to assume them real creatures. Unfortunately, I couldn't stare for too long, as I felt a splitting headache rampage through my skull, signifying the exhaustion my little stunt had left in its wake.
Gritting my teeth to avoid yowling from the pain, I tried to stand and distance myself from the hostile wolves, uncertain whether they would remain frozen and for how long. Yet, before I could even take a step, I collapsed, my vision going black and my senses disconnecting.
[Status Effect: Mana Exhaustion]
[Consciousness will recover in 29 minutes, 59 seconds]